Improvement in grain-meters



A. LOWMILLER.

Grain-Meter.

No. 221,083. Patented Oct. 28,1879.

k 3 LI 7 WITNESSES y K INVENTOR fla /magma I 67 %ORNEYS FLPETERQ PHOTO-UTNOGRAPHER, v/AsumQTOm D Q UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

ALPIIEUS LOWMILLER, OF JEIVETT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, JOHN LO\V- MILLEILOF SAME PLACE, AND SAMUEL STENGE 1-, OF KILGORE, OIIlO.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-METERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,083, dated October 23, 1879; application tiled April 20,1879.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, ALrHEUs LOWMILLER, of Jewett, in the county of Harrison and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic ei ghi n g and Registering Machines; and I do hereby dc clare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of automatic weighinganachines employed in weighing grain or other substances which are received from spouts in continuous streams.

It consists in the peculiar manner of supporting the tilting hopper in a pending adjustable frame on the end of the weighingbeam, as will be hereinafter fully explained, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation, of a device constructed according to my invention.

A is the frame on which is supported the mechanism of my invention. It consists of the sill a ,front post, a,rear post, a and legs or feet a and it", all constructed and arranged to support the several parts of the invention in proper position relative to each other, as hereinafter explained. On the top of the post a. I place a cross-bar, a, on the outer ends of which are fixed the vertical arms a, which support the weighing-beam.

b is the weighingbeam, composed of a head or cross-bar, b, the forward-projecting arms L b and the rear arm or scale, If, on which the balancing-weight b is placed. The crosshead bar I) is properly supported on knifeedge pins resting in bearings in the stand ards or arms a. On the upper side of the arm 11 ,1 place a boxing or casing, which on tends from the head I) to the outer end of the said arm, and it is affixed so as to leave space sufficient between it and the arm to permit the free movement of the weight b in adj usting it to increase or decrease the draft of the scales.

In the casing c, I place a round ball, 0, made of metal or other suitable material, which will roll from one end to the other when the scales are tilted in the operation of weighing.

(1 is a ring or frame placed between and balanced on pins having bearings in the ends of the arms N, as shown.

0 is a hanging frame suspended to the ring ('6 by hangers c 0, so that it may have a latcral swinging movement. On the swinging frame 0 the tilting hopper f is supported by suitable pins f, attached at or near its bot tom. The hopper is divided centrally by a partition, f into two compartments, f f", the ends of which extend outward over the chutes g g, affixed on a suitable supportingbar, attached to the frame A. On the frame 0, just below the hoppers, I affix a cross bar, it, the ends of which project outward un der the ends of f f. In the ends of the bar it, I place setscrews h h, which may be raised or lowered, and thus limit the throw or tilt of the hopper.

On the end of the sill a under the hopper I affix a cross-bar, i, in the ends of which I affix the adjustable slotted standards 7t it, which may be raised or lowered at pleasure by means of the set-screws k The arms 7: 7; are arranged so that the lower end of the frame a is suspended between them, and they serve as guides to keep the said frame in a vertical position by preventing it from swing ing too far to one side or the other. The upper ends of these arms 7; 7a are so arranged that they engage, tilt, and discharge the contents of the full compartment of the hopper, and bring the other hopper into position to receive the inflowin g grain or other material.

I11 the operation of the device the grain or other material is brought through suitable spouting, and deliveredinto thehopper through the ring or frame (I. If the hopper be in the position shown in Fig. 2, it will be seen that the grain will all fall into compartment f When grain snflicient has been delivered into the hopper to balance the weight b the beam b rises, and the moment its rear or outer end gets above a level with the pivots b the ball 0 will run rapidly to the forward end of the casing c, and cause the hopper with its grain to drop instantly onto the tops of the standards 7s is, so as to bring the bottom of said hopper into a horizontal position. A portion of the grain will instantly be discharged into chute g. The equality between the grain and the weight 6* being thus altered the beam will fall, and as the frame 0 rises the end of the hopper will drop into the chute g in a corre sponding position to that shown for the end f', Fig. 2. The ball 0 will roll to the other end of the casing, causing the beam to fall with a quick movement, so that the frame 0, with its attached mechanism, rises and falls with a jerking movement. The ends of the hopper f tilt alternately with each alternate rise and fall of the beam.

On the side of the frame I affix a registrywheel, m, which is held by a spring, a, and is operated by a pawl, 0, aflixed on the beam I).

3y this wheel the quantity of grain or other material weighed will be accurately and automatically registered.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination, with the beam b, constructed with a cross-head, b, and arms bZextended forward of its pivotal center or center of motion, and the hopper f, of the open frame (I, balanced on pivots affixed to its lateral bars and supported in hearings in the ends of the arms 6, and the rack e, hungon pins 0, aflixed to the front and rear bars of the open frame d, the said frame (I and the rack a being so supported and balanced that they will have an adjustable swinging movement at right angles to each other, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with thehopper f, sup ported on pins f, and the swinging frame 0, of the bar It and set-screws h, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

The combination, with the frame A, having bar t, and with the hopper f, supported on the swinging frame 0, as described, of the ad justable standards it 7;, arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALPHEUS LOX'VMILLE I.

\Vitnesses:

URIAII SIMMONS, JAMES Anims. 

